EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER: NOW IS THE TIME TO TAKE EXTRA STEPS FOR PEACEFUL NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT SOLUTION

Today
65605.html
April 7 2010
Azerbaijan

European Commissioner Stefan FULE has released an article on the
occasion of his upcoming visit to Azerbaijan on 9 April 2010. Below
is the text of the article.

More than just energy: Bringing Azerbaijan closer to the EU

As the European Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy
I want to ensure that the EU and Azerbaijan fully exploit the potential
of cooperation.

Azerbaijan is a key partner for the European Union for many reasons.

The country’s geostrategic location at the crossroads of Europe, the
Middle East and Asia, and its energy resources are only two of them.

Azerbaijan has confirmed its ambition to make full use of the
opportunities offered by the European Neighbourhood Policy and
the Eastern Partnership, the EU framework for cooperation with its
Eastern partners.

Energy is central to our relationship. Azerbaijan plays a key role as
a producer and also for transit. Europe offers an attractive market
for producers who wish to diversify their customer structure. This
provides the basis for a constructive relationship which is of benefit
both to Azerbaijan and Europe.

We count on Azerbaijan’s continued commitment to help us develop the
Southern Corridor which will provide for the shipping of gas from
Azerbaijan and the wider region to Europe. European companies are
prime investors in developing Azerbaijan’s full export potential of
hydrocarbon products.

The Eastern Partnership provides significant opportunities to
strengthen EU-Azerbaijan cooperation, beyond energy. It offers
a number of concrete steps to strengthen ties between the EU and
partner countries. Let me highlight two of them.

First, the intended negotiation of an Association Agreement will
pave the way for a broader and deeper partnership between the EU and
Azerbaijan. This includes the objective of a deep and comprehensive
Free Trade Area, as a key instrument to provide in due course
Azerbaijan with access to the EU market of 500 million consumers.

This will increase trade and investment between the EU and Azerbaijan
and help generate further economic growth and jobs in Azerbaijan,
including in sectors other than energy. We will help Azerbaijan in
its efforts to join the World Trade Organisation which is a necessary
step before the EU can negotiate a free trade area with Azerbaijan.

Secondly, the Eastern Partnership has set the long term goal of making
visa free travel possible between Azerbaijan and the EU. This is an
ambitious prospect, to which citizens from both the EU and Azerbaijan
pay a lot of attention. We will work with our partners in Azerbaijan
to make sure the necessary steps are taken so that one day their
citizens could enjoy free travel to Europe.

This in turn means that Azerbaijan allows us to move forward in our
relationship while delivering on some other issues. In particular,
strengthening respect for the rule of law and democratisation and
Human Rights is very important. This is not only for the benefit
of increased cooperation with the EU, but first and foremost for
the benefit of Azerbaijan’s citizens. In undertaking these reforms,
Azerbaijan can continue to count on the EU full support.

The EU also wants to promote peace across the region. As Commissioner
for Enlargement and the Neighbourhood Policy, I will give my full
support to Baroness Ashton – the EU’s High Representative for Foreign
Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the Commission
– as she seeks to ensure full implementation of the Lisbon Treaty
instruments to provide for single, integrated and effective external
policy. Stepping up the EU’s efforts in support of a settlement of
the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh should be a part of this proactive
approach. I appreciate the will and work done so far by both Presidents
to speed up peace talks. It is now time to go the extra mile that
can pave the way for a peaceful solution to this conflict.

The European Union and Azerbaijan have a mutual interest in developing
a broad and stable relationship.

This will benefit the people of Azerbaijan and of the EU, as our
credibility on the international stage depends on our capacity to
shape a peaceful and prosperous neighbourhood.

Stefan Fule, EU Commissioner for Enlargement and Neighbourhood Policy